


[FFXIV] Eorzean Tales

by Djill



Category: Final Fantasy, Final Fantasy XIV
Genre: Fantasy, Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn, Gen, Miqo'te (Final Fantasy XIV), Multi
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-03-15
Updated: 2018-04-24
Packaged: 2019-03-31 17:13:26
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 5,842
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13979772
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Djill/pseuds/Djill
Summary: Eorzean Tales tells the story of a male Miqo'te Keeper called Moya'to Inyanga.His story starts before the events of the Calamity and will touch a lot on Keeper lore speculation, hopefully giving satisfying answers to questions about how they live and what their society might be like.I will make a NSFW version of this story - mostly because I want to practice writing explicit stories - but this version will remain clean for the time being.





	1. Prologue

The second son of Moya Inyanga was angry, no, furious. His sharp claw-like nails were digging into the skin of his palms as he clenched them tightly, his body trembling with barely contained rage.

Moya'to straightened his back, showing his full height. Even as a youth still a few cycles away from reaching maturity he was larger than the other three miqo'te in the wooden hut that was their home. He towered over the older female, his mother, fighting to keep himself under control as she slurred another jibe in his general direction.

“Wish Menphina would have given me strong, healthy daughters. Instead she cursed me with you three useless boys.”

Her breath reeked of milkroot and her eyes weren’t fully focused as she looked around with contempt on her moon-white features. If the female noticed the rage building in her coal-skinned second son, she did a good job of not giving a damn about it.

Moya'to let out an involuntary snarl as he felt a sharp pain. The source was his elder brother’s claws - he had grabbed him by the back of the neck and was pulling him back towards the door.

“Yes, Mother.” He said to her. “We’ll get out of your way.” 

Moya'to was of a mind to struggle, but when he saw his older brother’s disapproval he felt a pang of guilt instead and let the smaller male guide him by the neck despite how embarrassing that was. Their younger sibling, barely more than a cub, quickly followed - no doubt not eager to be left alone with their mother given her current state.

Luckily for him there was no one around to see his shame as it was still too early for most of the other families that made up their small tribe to be up just yet. True to their titles as Keepers of the Moon, they shunned the daylight, preferring to awaken under the pale light of the Moon that was also their Goddess Menphina. Moya'to squinted as his light-sensitive red eyes were bombarded by the sun - still up for an hour or longer judging by its position in the sky. 

His brother let go of him and marched towards the nearby trees without as much as a glance to see if his brothers would follow. Moya'to rubbed the back of his neck, glanced at the grinning form of the youngest, then sighed and followed.

“Wait up ‘A, ‘Li can’t keep up!”

The three males didn’t have names of their own, but were simply referred to as the First, Second, and Third son of Moya, making their official titles Moya'a, Moya'to and Moya'li. Everything they did reflected directly on her, even if they could hold no jobs or titles of responsibility as males. When away from the ever watchful eyes of the tribes’ females they had long since started calling each other by the shortened version of their titles. They all knew all too well who’s sons they were, after all. They didn’t need to be reminded.

Moya'li, the youngest, stuck his tongue out through fanged canines and started running. “It’s you who can’t keep up!” As he sped past both his brothers they had no choice but to accept the challenge and race after him, but the youngster had a headstart plus a small frame that made zigzagging through the thick underbrush easier. It didn’t matter much who was faster though, the physical activity alone was enough to lift their spirits and make them forget about their worries.

The boys didn’t stop until their reached ‘their’ pond - a small body of water about half an hour away from their tribe that they had discovered long ago. It had served as a refuge for when they needed to get away from the other miqo'te, and most importantly their angry mother, for a few hours. Being the only three males in a tribe full of females who saw no real use for them wasn’t always easy. Especially the two eldest, too young to be considered adults but too old to be treated like cubs, had it rough. Youngsters were cherished, even if they were male, and usually got away with things as long as they didn’t disrupt the status quo too much - something the naturally charming Moya'li was not above abusing for his own benefit - but being in between child and adult meant the eyes of the tribe were on them at all times. Or at least it felt that way.

‘To and 'Li dropped to the ground, struggling to catch their breath but seeming happier for it. The more serious eldest had been more conservative with his energy, ever the careful one, and simply stood nearby. He was frowning again, staring at his siblings without seeming to actually see them.

Moya'to sighed. “Look, 'A, I’m…”

“Shut it.” His brother interrupted as he approached. For a second Moya'to thought he might strike him and he tensed, but instead he sat down between his brothers and pulled them both into a hug. There they sat in silence, taking comfort in each other’s closeness, watching the dense woods as the sun slowly sank over the canopy.

Moya'to glanced at his two brothers, noticing not for the first time how alike they looked. Both were small for their age, with the same pale moon-white skin as their mother and thin tails. He was the odd one out with his charcoal skin, tall frame and bushy tail. To an outsider he might not even seem like their kin, despite sharing the same deep-red eyes and silver-white hair. A miqo'te would know that their scent was too similar not to be brothers though, even if the Second born was most likely sired by a different male. Not that it mattered, the concept of a father was unknown to them. 

'Li broke the silence first: “So how much trouble is he in this time?”

Moya'to frowned slightly, knowing full well his brother meant him. He was about to retort, but the eldest beat him to it.

“The same amount as every other day. It’s not like she noticed.” There was unveiled contempt in his voice, making the youngest two pauze. They weren’t used to it, 'A was the most disciplined of them and hadn’t shown their shared contempt for the weak-willed female that was their mother in recent memory, instead he was prone to arguing that they just had to live with it until they were old enough to leave. 

The eldest noticed the discomfort in his sibling and squeezed them slightly in reassurance. “Don’t look at me like that - everyone knows she isn’t the best example of Keeper grace and wisdom.” 

'Li laughed, loudly and without constraint as he was prone to do. “Fair enough! Not sure what I’m going to do when you two get taken. I’d have to be the voice of reason, can you imagine?”

The cub frowned as his brothers failed to laugh with him, instead his jibe seemed to have soured their already non-too-great mood. He rubbed his head against the eldest jaw and cheek - a placating and somewhat submissive gesture designed to ease any tension or offense he may have caused. 

“You know we wouldn’t want to leave you alone, don’t you?” The eldest looked pained, guilty even. He knew full well that if the tribe decided it was time they’d have no choice but to leave their youngest sibling behind. Such was the way of the Keepers. 

“He even stopped growing to try and trick them into thinking he’s still a cub!” Moya'to joked, inwardly sighing in relieve as that drew chuckles from both his brothers. It didn’t take Moya'a long to get serious again though.

“Not you though, if you don’t learn to control yourself better they might even send you off before m… Why are you staring at me like that?”

The sun had set during their conversation, deepening the shadows of the nearby forest so much that most creatures wouldn’t be able to see anything at all but the Keeper boys had only noticed less strain on their eyes, so well adjusted were they do the night. It took the eldest but a moment to figure out what was wrong, as he saw it too - a slight rosy pink glow in his brothers’ pale manes of hair and also reflected on the youngest white features. Most any other creature would not have noticed it at all, but to them it stood out like a beacon in the dark. Uneasy now, the brothers jumped to a crouch and looked around, sniffing the air and looking around.

By chance, Moya'to glanced up and spotted the source of the strange light. He felt fear grip his heart and could do naught but slowly straighten and point up to alert his brothers. In the night’s sky was Menphina, the biggest of the two moons - shining brightly in her full form. But something was off. The second, smaller moon - the one his tribe referred to as Menphina’s daughter but was more commonly known as her loyal hound - had turned a deep, dark red. To the nocturnal miqo'te Keepers it looked like it bathed the entire forest in a sickening red glow, even from that vast distance. The three brothers stood and watched, their minds racing. They didn’t know what it meant, couldn’t know. All they knew was that this was the start of something frightening and huge. The start of their Eorzean Tales.


	2. Change

Three shadows, two white as ghosts and one as dark as the night around them, rushed through the underbrush of the Black Shroud forest.

The Inyanga brothers hurried to return to their people, but they were making slower progress than they would prefer. Despite it being ever so faint, the shift in light of the small moon from white to red disoriented them and made them on edge. 

Certain things have no right to change that drastically - a moon that they’ve known all their lives chief among them. They weren’t the only ones affected either, all around them they heard the calls and cries of the animals and creatures that shared their ancient forest home. To their sensitive ears the forest was never quiet at the best of times - now it seemed positively deafening with the confused, even sometimes panicked cries of these beings.

Moya'to, or ‘the second son of Moya’ as his title suggested, slammed his shoulder against a tree when he misjudged a turn, taking it too sharply, and stumbled. The coal-skinned miqo'te Keeper went down despite his best efforts to stay on his feet, and crashed loudly to the ground.

The first son of Moya, Moya’a, appeared out of what seemed nowhere and unceremoniously dragged him to his feet. It was a reminder that the pale-faced boy might be tiny compared to his younger brother, but that didn’t diminish the strength in his short frame.

An even smaller form - the third and youngest, Moya’li - caught up and merely stood there, pouting. A joke died on Moya'to his lips before it left them. Little ‘Li not making fun of him after a tumble like that was perhaps even more unnerving than the moon itself and it reminded him of how afraid he was. He realised that his brothers must be feeling that same lumps in their throats.

“We should make haste.” 'A said, but he made no move to actually do so. He still had an arm around 'To, gripping him so tight it became somewhat uncomfortable. The second felt nauseated, partly because his brother’s too-tight one armed hug made sure there was no doubt about the normally calm one’s terror, and in part because that damned red light messed with his eyes - casting harsh shadows where there shouldn’t be any.

“Let’s do that then before you squeeze 'To to death.” The youngest piped up, his voice too shaky for the weak attempt of a joke to be very effective, but Moya'to was grateful that he tried. The oldest let go of him so they could resume their journey back home, even slower this time.

“It’s worse than going out when the sun is up.” Moya'to started to complain, but both his brothers shushed him harshly. They had stopped once again, crouching low and looking around, they tails twitching with tense nerves. Moya’to followed suit, even if he didn’t really know what of all the strange things happening this night he would appoint as the cause of their distress.

They waited, and listened. He was about to remark on that he didn’t hear anything, until he realised - he didn’t hear anything! The hair on the back of his neck stood on end as he fought the urge to scratch the crawling skin on his arms - did that shadow move? He closed his eyes, not trusting them to not play tricks on them at the moment, and instead used his keen sense of smell and hearing to try and pinpoint the source of the disturbance.

He smelled the familiar, warm scents of his two brothers, and felt the youngest brush past him without making a sound. 'Li, being little more than a cub and by far the least experienced of them, was moving in between his two older brothers in an instinct-driven need to find protection among the almost-adults. 'A on the other hand, had started hissing - the sound not just meant to be intimidating to whatever was lurking in the woods, but also designed to lure attention to him and away from his siblings.

Moya’to kept quiet, waiting and fighting the urge to just run. They felt it long before their sensitive ears heard it - a deep rumble coming from the earth that sent vibrations through their legs all the way up their spines. Moya’a stopped hissing, momentarily confused and not sure what to make of it until he his eyes widened with realisation.

“Up into the trees!” He yelled and half dragged, half pushed the youngest to the nearest tree, an ancient behemoth so large it may take up to a minute to walk around. Little 'Li didn’t understand what 'A was getting at, but he climbed nonetheless - his strong legs and sharp claw-like nails aiding the ascent. Moya’to followed, with the eldest coming up last only after he was satisfied that the other two males were heeding his words.

Not a moment too soon - the deep rumble had turned into a thunderous sound and only moments after Moya’a started climbing up did the first of them crash through the underbrush - A giant antelope, easily twice the height and several times the bulk of a fully grown miqo'te, bleeted and ran wildly past them, followed by an entire herd of the animals.

The creatures called out in distress and ran chaotically, sometimes crashing into one another or almost hitting on of the giant trees in their rush to get away. The sound of it was louder than anything the forest had ever known.

The boys held onto the tree for dear life, knowing that if they fell the hoofs of the giant mammals would crush them into a pulp in an instant. Dozens of the creatures, both doe and stag, youngsters and giant elders, ran by in a wild panic. Antelope don’t stampede, not like this. They would run, of course, when threatened, but this was so much more than simply running from a predator. Like the boys clinging to the tree above they had noticed the shift of the small moon and instinctively knew it meant danger - and like the boys they experienced it as a danger they couldn’t get a grip on. One that seemed to come from everywhere at once. They tried to run from it, but no matter how fast they were or how far they went, that danger was still there.

One of the animals, a youngster, tripped on something and fell down. It would never get up again, as the larger adults were too frightened to notice or try and avoid it. It was crushed between the hoofs of the adults that would normally have fiercely protected the creature.

Young 'Li up in the tree was trembling as he struggled to hang on, and started to sob in terror. It helped Moya'to shake his own enough to climb a bit higher to reach him. He put his arm around the boy, making sure 'Li knew he was not alone. The boy calmed down slightly and together they waited.

It was the longest wait they ever had to endure. By the time the last of the antelope rushed past after what felt like a lifetime their muscles were stiff and pained from hanging on to the side of the tree. It made the climb down precarious, so they took their time.

Moya'a jumped the last bit, instantly regretting it as his tired legs protested and - perhaps worse - he landed right next to the trampled animal. He was no stranger to dead things, hunting was one of their primary means of survival after all, but the sight and smell of the unfortunate creature made his stomach turn.

He forced himself to have a closer look, but quickly noted that there was nothing he could salvage of the torn and beaten thing. The waste of it made him sad and angry at the same time. Moya’to and 'Li had made their way down in the meantime, 'Li clinging to his brother as he looked around with wide, terrified eyes. Moya’to, on the other hand, seemed mostly annoyed, blinking rapidly as if his eyes still hadn’t adjusted. Only his flattened ears, mimicking those of the other two, betrayed that his annoyance probably stemmed from fear. Moya'a stepped up to his brothers and joined their embrace, giving them all some time to get themselves and their terror under control.

“We need to keep going.” He said after awhile, and stepped back. “At least they didn’t go in the direction of…” He didn’t finish that thought, perhaps worried that if they celebrated prematurely they’d end up coming home to an even greater tragedy. “Stay alert.”

At that the three miqo'te resumed their trek back home, leaving what may have been the first casualty of Dalamud’s descent behind.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Any feedback on grammar and spelling is welcome as English isn't my native language.


	3. Home

Only a few hours had passed since the three miqo'te males had wandered into the woods, yet when they finally stepped into the small clearing near their dwelling they instantly knew things weren't going to be the same as when they left. Perhaps never.

Normally the four families that made up their tribe mostly stuck to themselves, making them a tribe in name mostly and not so much in practice. They only ever gathered in numbers during events like the Moon-celebration, yet when the Inyanga brothers stepped out of the woods they were greeted by the intimidating sight of all the adult females of the tribe simultaneously turning in their direction, sharpened nails to look like claws and weapons at the ready, showing their fangs as they loudly hissed.

The boys did the only sane thing one could ever do when confronted by a large group of angered female Keepers: they dropped to their knees and tilted their heads to leave their necks exposed. The submissive gesture was one taught to them since they had been old enough to walk, yet it was rarely necessary as Keeper males tended to avoid confrontation with the females altogether. They could only hope it would placate whatever offense they might have caused

For what felt like an eternity, but in reality could have been no more than a heartbeat or two, the tension felt high enough to snap bone, until a light-hearted chuckle broke it instantly. An ancient-looking female, her light grey features weathered and wrinkled, clutching a staff to support her stooped frame, shook her head in amusement, making her darker grey curls bounce around her face.

“Now, now, my daughters. It's just Moya's boys.” Her voice was kindly but held none of the shakiness one might associate with an elderly woman such as her. There was authority in it, and all the gathered females regardless of their actual blood relation to the crone relaxed and turned back to face her, ignoring the boys that had startled them so badly.

The brothers quickly lowered their gazes and dared not move - the ancient little female was to them, despite her kindly demeanor, even more terrifying that the stampede had been. They didn't even know her name, as no one had ever though to tell the boys and everyone simply referred to her as Mater. This simple title indicated to all that this old female was not just another family Matriarch, but a Matriarch to the tribe as a whole. She was so old that she had learned and forgotten more things about the Black Shroud than most would ever know, and she used this and her special connection to Menphina to act as their shaman, priestess, healer, and - when times were dire enough - leader to the entire tribe, which she had long since come to think of as her daughters even if not all were her actual kin.

It left the boys in a weird position - even if they had been adults they wouldn't have normally been privy to such a meeting yet no one had bothered to dismiss them. They could get up and leave, yet that might interrupt the females a second time - something that would test their patience in a way the brothers weren't willing to do. So they stayed put, eyes lowered, worrying that the hearts pounding in their chests might be audible to more ears than their own.

Moya’to, ever the most reckless one, dared to glance up and let his eyes dart around the gathering. He noticed that no one was paying them any attention and dared take a longer, better look after that first cursory glance.

He quickly determined that indeed all the adult females were here gathered in what may have looked like a random semi-circle to an outsider with the Mater in the middle. Despite the irritation from the Red Moon’s Light he quickly noticed the hierarchy shown in that seemingly chaotic gathering. Closest to him and furthest from the old crone were the Maidens - usually young, newly matured females that had no litters of their own just yet. Next came the biggest group, the Matrons. These females had cubs either small or mature but weren't the heads of their families. There were subtle hints of rank in this group, the ones closest to the middle usually held the most status even if the proximity only differed tiny amounts.

It was instantly clear to Moya'to that these females were gathered to discuss something important, presumably the shift of the small moon’s colour. He felt his chest swell with a mixture of pride as he stood witness to such a momentous occasion and the strange giddiness that comes with doing something you're not supposed to do and getting away with it. It emboldened him enough to let his red eyes linger on the most important females in the middle: the Matriarchs.

His pale-faced little mother caught his eye first, not just because of her colouring but because she stood somewhat apart from the other females. He felt a pang of worry, but she was too preoccupied to glare at him for causing her such embarrassment. Moya Inyanga was the head of their tiny family as she was its only female, and  therefore was expected to stand with the Matriarchs even if she had none of their dignity and skill. He frowned slightly as he saw her sway on feet made unsteady by a lack of sleep and excess of the hallucinogenic milkroot she partook in way too often. How she, and in extent the brothers, was not exiled from their tribe long ago was something of a mystery to him as he felt an anger born from shame rising in his throat.

He tore his eyes away from her, _was she about to cry?_ \- only to notice that, for once, she wasn't the only one openly showing her distress. A significant number of the Keepers, especially among the Maidens and lower-ranked Matrons, clutched each other's hands, their large cat-like ears flat on their heads as they looked on with solemn expressions, blinking in the unfamiliar red glow. Some even seemed to be battling with tears, which made Moya'to extremely uncomfortable. He quickly looked away, focusing on the Mater and the three remaining Matriarchs around her - strong and dignified females that showed no such obvious signs of dismay but instead stood straight and proud.

The Matriarch closest to Mater was like a mirror image of her, so closely did she resemble her looks and age. She was Sosu Zasta, the only one of Mater’s siblings that still lived and active Matriarch of their shared family of daughters, granddaughters and great-granddaughters. The Zasta family was the most numerous of the tribe by a large margin and easily recognizable thanks to their distinct light-grey skin and dark-grey hair. Features that all of them, regardless of age, shared. The family's numbers was evidence of Sosu’s success as a matriarch and her sister's before her. Keeping that many children alive in the dangerous Black Shroud was no small feat.

Next to her stood Vuki Mhuckau, a tall female that was at least a decade or three younger than the two sisters. She was almost as tall as Moya'to as she stood straight, bulky arms crossed over a, at least for a miqo'te, barrel chest. There was pride in her stance, and for good reason. Her family was known for their strength, both in character and in body, and their willingness to use that strength - both to fight or build, whichever was necessary at the time. Vuki and her daughters had similar coal-black skin as Moya'to had, but where his hair was white as freshly fallen snow theirs was black as a raven’s wings.

The last female in the inner circle was Tebah Yowhune - easily the youngest and smallest among them with a lithe frame, dark green hair and wood-brown skin. Unlike the other families her daughters had a lot more variety in their colouring, build, and features, though most were excellent with the shortbow and their hunting skill as a family was legendary.

So stood the tribe as they had what might be one of their most important meetings, from Maiden to Matron to Matriarch - all looked to the ancient crone for answers in a world suddenly thrust into uncertainty.

“So is she angered you think, Mater?” Stern Sosu continued their conversation as if they had not been interrupted at all.

“Menphina’s Daughter stands for us, all of us,” Mater replied in a clear voice that easily carried over the gathered miqo'te. “Red is a colour of danger and anger - she is no doubt warning us about something, or perhaps some great injustice has been done to one of our sister tribes.” She paused for effect, looking around to meet the large, worried eyes of the children around her - at her age, everyone else seemed but a babe. She noticed one of the males quickly glancing down as her gaze passed over him. _A brazen one, that one_ , she thought to herself before continuing.

“We need to prepare for hard times ahead. Tonight you will make the Call so we can get some news from the Wanderers, if they have any to share.” It was a long shot, and she knew it. The Call was a way to let nearby wandering males know the tribe welcomed them for various reasons. Because the males went from tribe to tribe they might know something they themselves did not, though chances were slim as they didn't exactly get invited to important meetings during their visits.

“We will also send the quickest Yowhune to our sister tribes in the north and east to see what they know. Colour your faces tonight, my daughters. We shall show Menphina that we will forever trust in her, even if we do not fully grasp her signs as of yet.”

Everyone gathered lowered their eyes in respect for their Goddess before the group started to break apart, each one of them knew what was expected of her - which helped to distract worried minds and ease tense nerves.

Moya'to and his brothers rose in unison and walked away from the clearing with the confident strides of youngsters with a purpose. They might not be females, heck, they weren't even adults - yet they didn't have to be useless and all three were of similar minds as to how they might contribute.


	4. Youngsters

Moya’to quickly outpaced his brothers and had to slow down, a task that was momentarily too much to ask of the agitated male. He decided to turn around and walk backwards so he could both get some of his energy out and look at them while speaking - something he didn't get a chance to do as he quickly found his back bumping into something.

It was the last straw to break tense nerves, and like the females had done earlier he whirled to face whatever was in his path, fangs bared in an angry hiss, only to be met by the petulant indifference of a sulking cub.

The tiny female, a bit younger than 'Li even, stood with her skinny arms crossed over her chest and a frown on her light-grey features. If the large male's aggression affected her at all she did a grand job of hiding it. More likely however, was that it never even occurred to her that the boy could or would hurt her so his reaction did nothing to distract her from her pouty sulking.

Moya’to felt shame burning on his cheeks -  _ Thank Menphina it's not her mother _ , he thought before inclining his head, mumbling a greeting and apology before trying to walk around her.

“You were are the meeting!” she exclaimed as she sidestepped to get in his way, somehow making it sound like an accusation. Moya’to stammered - It was an unspoken custom of their tribe that young female cubs did not try and assert any dominance over older males, especially not adults or near-adults like him, by for example getting in their way. Usually they didn't even bother speaking with them much unless it was really necessary. Keepers may be matriarchal and his tribe especially saw little use for males outside of breeding, but children were still children. The idea that a young girl would have any kind of power was ridiculous - cubs were cherished and protected, yes, but were also expected to be respectful and obedient.

Moya’to felt annoyance rise like bile in the back of one's throat, but was saved from having to answer by 'A speaking up: “That is correct, Daughter of the Zasta. Perh…”

“I would know what was discussed!” she interrupted, making even the reserved and respectful Moya’a blink in confused annoyance. 

Moya’li laughed, drawing worried looks from both his older brothers that he expertly ignored. “Sucks to be you, then, little Loha. Maybe your mum will tell you if you ask her nicely.” He stuck out his tongue in a teasing manner, and the girl trembled with outrage, small hands balled into fists as she shrieked loudly: “You  _ will _ tell me what was discussed!”

'Li smirked slightly before lowering his head respectfully, making Moya'to frown at the sudden change in demeanor until he noticed one of the Matrons of the Zasta family making a b-line towards them, her pace fast and her expression grim. The two eldest boys barely had time to react and incline their heads as 'Li had done, and not a second too late. The female, presumably the girl's mother or perhaps an aunt, grabbed the cub by the wrist and unceremoniously dragged her away. Not a word was spoken - she would no doubt be berated for her actions, but it would happen in the privacy of their own home instead of the middle of the tribe. The boys knew better than to expect any kind of apology, and they simply resumed their walk after they had given the woman enough time to haul the unruly youngster away.

“Do you know everyone?” Moya’to asked of the youngest, whose grin was so full of glee it made him smile in turn.

“My litter-mates, yes” 'Li answered, referring to other cubs born within a few seasons of him. They weren't siblings, but they shared a bond as they were schooled in the ways of the forest in small groups of these similarly aged cubs. The youngest of the Inyanga brothers, with his charm and quick smile, often managed to be allowed into classes often reserved for females only, making his connection to his litter-mates even stronger than usual.

The two eldest were born close enough together that they were considered each other's litter-mates, and had little contact with the others in their group ever since they got old enough for their gender to really start to matter. Not that they had had many - they were born in harsh times with difficult seasons, unlike 'Li who was a cub born during times of plenty. The better the seasons, the more children were born and survived.

“You shouldn't tease her like that,” the ever serious Moya’a scolded. “One day she will hold power over you.”

'Li waved the comment away. “She's the one that was in the wrong and she knows it. Besides, everyone loves me regardless.”

'A had to admit to that part, but wasn't willing to give up completely: “Be that as it may, you still need to be more careful. Charm isn't going to get you very far once you’re on your own.”

Moya’to and 'Li shared a glance and a grin when their oldest brother wasn't looking. There was never any point in arguing, mostly because 'A was usually right, this time being no exception.

“Yes, Moya’a.” The youngest promised, and he even managed to make it sound like he meant it.

_ And that's why everyone loves him _ , 'To thought to himself. “It was strange though.” He said softly, making sure no females were nearby enough to overhear them.

The other two glanced at the small, red dot in the sky that they knew to be Menphina's Daughter, then nodded. The males walked on in solemn silence, each needing a moment to think about the events of the evening so far.

It was in silence that they smelled their destination before they would see it - the scents of herbs and oils so strong that it made their eyes water. They pulled their shirts up over their mouths and sensitive noses, but it did little to block the odors emanating from a small hut, actually more of a shack, nearby.

“I think I threw up a little”, Moya’li complained before making some exaggerated gag-sounds. 'A shot him a warning glance, before approaching the dark-wood door and knocking two times in rapid succession. They all stepped back, and waited.


End file.
